Weeds cause tremendous global economic losses by reducing crop yields and lowering crop quality. Worldwide, agronomic crops must compete with hundreds of weed species.
In spite of the commercial herbicides available today, damage to crops caused by weeds still occurs. Accordingly, there is ongoing research to create more effective and/or more selective herbicidal agents.
Certain benzisoxazole and benzisothiazole herbicidal agents are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,484,763 and 5,523,278. Those patents generically disclose benzisoxazole and benzisothiazole compounds that are substituted with a Q group which may be one of 22 specified groups. However, only one Q group (Q6) is exemplified in those patents. In addition, those patents do not disclose that their compounds are useful for the selective control of weeds in the presence of corn and wheat.
Surprisingly, it has now been found that certain of the compounds generically disclosed in those patents are more effective and/or more selective herbicidal agents than the corresponding compounds wherein Q is Q6.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide compounds which are highly effective for the control of undesirable plant species.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide methods for the control of undesirable plant species.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide methods for the selective control of undesirable plant species in the presence of crops.
Those and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description thereof set forth below.